Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Geology
Department
Geology
First Advisor
Dr. Julie Bloxson
Second Advisor
Dr. R. LaRell Nieslon
Third Advisor
Dr. Melinda Faulkner
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Alyx Frantzen
Abstract
The Late Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas is a mixed carbonate–siliciclastic succession that serves as both a prolific hydrocarbon source and reservoir. This study integrates chemostratigraphy, mineralogical analysis, and elemental ratio proxies to reconstruct depositional environments and assess controls on detrital influx, paleoproductivity, and redox conditions across multiple cores in Webb and Dimmit counties. Major, trace, and redox-sensitive elements were evaluated alongside Total Organic Content (TOC) and carbonate content to identify stratigraphic trends and environmental shifts.
Results reveal distinct geochemical signatures between the Upper and Lower Eagle Ford Shale, with the Lower Eagle Ford characterized by elevated Al-rich clay fractions, reduced carbonate content, and finer-grained detritus relative to the Upper Eagle Ford. Grain-size–sensitive ratios (Zr/Nb, Si/Al) and carbonate proxies (Ca, Sr) document changes in shoreline proximity, subtle sea-level oscillations, and the transition from carbonate-dominated Austin and Buda units into mixed-sediment deposition. Redox proxies (Mo, U, V) indicate dominantly suboxic to anoxic conditions in the Lower Eagle Ford Shale, with possible abiotic anoxia driven by sediment stratification, while the Upper Eagle Ford Shale is characterized by more oxic to suboxic bottom-water conditions. These findings refine the chemostratigraphic framework for the Eagle Ford Shale in relation to the Western Interior Seaway and provides insights into its depositional dynamics, sediment provenance, and implications for reservoir quality.
Repository Citation
Girlinghouse, Natalie G., "GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EAGLE FORD SHALE IN WEBB AND DIMMIT COUNTIES, TX" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 658.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/658
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